Journeys in the Afterlife
by bluedog96
Summary: Itachi had passed on and arrived in the afterlife; however, not everything is a peaceful as it seems. Hunger runs rampant in the higher districts and dark secrets lurk from a dark past. Humans are not the only things that come to the Soul Society...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Heck, I'll post it on my profile page at some point. From here on, this counts for the rest of the fic.**

...

"_Sometimes the hardest part isn't letting go but rather learning to start over."_

–_Nicole Sobon, Program 13_

…

Itachi never thought his life was easy. Oh no, it was far from that by leaps and bounds. Staring down at the corpse of himself—bringing with it an awfully morbid thought process—it hit him just how badly he abused his body. For better or worse, his body was going to die whether he wanted it to or not. It was strange how the lacerations, bruises, and, most importantly, his disease did not transfer into this new spiritual body. He ran his hands over the strange chain protruding from the center of the steel plate on his chest. In exchange, he received an annoying chain that clinked with every movement.

Sasuke was passed out on the ground, but he seemed satisfied if one could judge from his sleepy expression. Images of carrying an injured reckless Sasuke hom ran through Itachi's head. Despite knowing his brother couldn't see him, Itachi crouched down and placed his first two fingers to his younger brother's head. "Sorry, Sasuke. I can't help you anymore." Itachi rose to his feet and looked off towards the distance.

There was a big question echoing in his head: What now? He had completed his objective, but there was no direct passage to hell or even fading into oblivion. Perhaps it had been a bit foolish—reckless even—to rely on the tales passed down from generation to generation of the afterlife, but what other options were there? There were countless tales of the shinigami and the hokages had even summoned it twice. Where was the creature supposed to devour the souls of the dead?

All around there were strange sounds. They roared and wailed around him with an odd echo. An odd thumping like an earthquake could be felt in the ground. Itachi wasn't one to panic, but there was an odd pressure that forced his body to break out in a minor cold sweat. It wasn't natural. Whatever dark creatures were lurking in the shadows, he did not want to encounter one. Something told him that he could not handle the monsters.

There was only one option he could think of that might have more information on the afterlife. They would have the most information out of all of them. Itachi turned towards the direction of the sea and the ruined Ushiogakure. It would be in shambles, but there had to be at least one structure still standing that could give him a hint as to what he should expect from the afterlife. There had to be scrolls on summoning the shinigami hidden in an archive. He could only hope that time and the elements had not ravaged it too badly.

There was a crash and Itachi leapt out of the way in time to avoid a gnarled, claw-tipped fist that came crashing down on his location. Itachi let out a gasp of horror as he realized this thing was as monstrous as the Kyuubi. It possessed no tails, but he could feel a suffocating aura that pressed down on him from all sides. The hunched, bulky purple monster reared back its fist for another strike.

"Kid, what the hell are you doing?" There was a rush of air and Itachi suddenly found himself swaying on the spot, feet planted on the ground over twenty feet away. It took him a few moments to recollect himself from the unexpected intrusion to his fight.

"Who are you?"

"Does it matter? Look, see that monster over there? That's a hollow." She pointed back to herself. "I am a shinigami. My job is to kill that thing so stay out of my way." Itachi ignored the rather snippy shinigami as she parried the next blow from the monster.

"I could have handled it on my own."

"You were doing a pretty crappy job of it from where I was standing. You almost got your head blown off. Now back off. A plus like you stands no chance." Sadly, Itachi knew she was correct and willingly took a few steps backward. He was still tense for action should the woman be brought down. All it took was a few well thought out hacks of the sword to the mask of the creature for it to vanish into thin air. It was anticlimactic in every sense of the word. The woman sheathed her sword and calmly approached Itachi with a smile on her face.

"Are you going to answer my question now, shinigami?"

"I'm here to take you to the afterlife. I had no idea there was a plus—a soul yet to pass on—running around picking a fight with a hollow."

"Hollow?"

"Corrupted souls that feed on the souls of both the living and the dead. Nasty things really. And unless you want to become one," She lifted the chain with an index finger and held it tauntingly in front of Itachi's face, "I suggest you move on now buddy. The Soul Society's a nice place once you get used to it."

Itachi showed little displeasure beyond the slight downward tilt of his lips. It would be troublesome if he turned into one of those creatures—and painful, no doubt. "How does it work?"

"Relax." The woman drew the sword from the sheath and tapped him on the forehead. An odd calm washed over him and a pure white light erupted from the ground. It was odd. He hadn't felt this at peace since he was little. It felt like he was being wrapped in warm embrace, and Itachi found himself temporarily letting go of all of his doubts as the white light sucked him into the ground. "See? Soul burials ain't so bad now are they?" She grinned as the black hell butterfly took the place of the man and fluttered off into the distance.

…

Itachi groaned and flung an arm over his face. Leaves crinkled beneath him as he sat up and took stock of his surroundings. It was humid and sunny, but the heat was not entirely unbearable. He ran his hands over his clothes and found them to be rags in an okay condition but by no means were they silk. He guessed they were made of wool or cotton. He was leaning more towards wool. He shielded his eyes and looked upwards to see a canopy of tall trees. They blocked out most of the light creating a dappled effect on the forest floor.

A flash of black in the corner of his vision caught his eye and Itachi found himself running his hands along the smooth silk of his Akatsuki robe. He wasn't fond of the cloak, but it had its uses. In concealing body shape and all the weapons placed upon the body, it was unrivaled. Beyond the suspicious placement of his cloak, which he could only assume was sent with him, the trees were covered in nicks. They weren't casually strewn about like a person trying to find their way, but haphazard like a fight had occurred.

Itachi approached the old tree and ran a hand over the deep scratch in the bark of the wood. It had been made by a sword, not a kunai. This gave him a clue about what to look out for should he be approached by an enemy. He had no forms of weaponry on him. A sword user would bring trouble if they happened to be skilled.

First, he had to find the exit to the forest. He had no intention of spending the rest of his afterlife among the trees. With no clue on where to start beyond the position of the sun, he set out north in hopes of finding the nearest town or lonely denizen of afterlife—whichever came first. Picking up a rock, he made a distinctive X on the tree to mark his starting location. The physics of this world could be completely different from what he's used to. Itachi had to tread cautiously to avoid any unknown dangers.

A few hours into his rather uneventful trek, he found a bloodied rock with a plain sword lodged into the rock. An ordinary citizen would guess the sword had magical powers. Itachi guessed it was an armature wind natured chakra user. For the afterlife being considered 'peaceful' it was full of areas torn up by violence. The chances were high that he had ended up in a lawless zone. If this happened to be the case, he would need a weapon.

Ignoring the blood stain on the rock, Itachi gave a sharp yank and released the sword from its sheathe of rock. He eyes the blade over several times. It was in good condition despite being exposed to the elements and shoved into a rock. A little sharpening would cure the blade of its dullness. He needed a way to hold the blade until he got to town. He was suddenly glad he brought along the coat. It wasn't uncommon for members to hide everything from kunai to swords in the sleeves of their coats. The cloaks were designed for carry unsheathed weapons.

Itachi quickly secured the weapon inside his coat and took another look at the sun's position. He was still heading in the right direction. There was a strange feeling that had started to irritate him. It felt like he had lost all of his chakra. It wouldn't be strange. Chakra was comprised of physical and spiritual energy. If his hypothesis was correct, he only kept half of the power he had stored. His stores had always been below average so now he was the equivalent of a genin if he could still use his jutsu. Itachi shook his head to clear his thoughts. He would check when he got to the next town.

…

Beyond the copse of trees laid a village. The people were ragged and many were walking skeletons. The children had no parents or family in sight. A rugged town where only the strongest survived… the children on the streets surely stood no chance against such a condition. Itachi forced himself not to dwell on the matter; however, his own experiences with the harsh conditions placed upon him by war and years as a missing-nin refused to let his mind rest easy.

The buildings were rotting and falling down on themselves. The homes were not safe and any relaxation could easily mean he could get mugged or worse. Itachi closed his eyes in concentration seeking out traces of chakra – only to discover there was none. Channeling his energy around his body Itachi discovered that he himself had no chakra. The spiritual portion was there, but he did not have the physical aspect required to cast jutsu as he suspected. He would be forced to rely solely on his own taijutsu in combination with the sword he had scavenged from the forest.

He chose an abandoned house on the edge of the district. It was not the best place to sleep, but it was enough to provide him cover from the elements. His cloak was heavy enough that it could be used as a blanket, and he found himself grateful that he brought it with him instead of leaving it in the forest. The river that gurgled outside the hut provided him with a place to catch fish but also increased the risk of a gang hiding away in wait, but he was confident his skills were good enough to keep any looters away. Securing a source of resources was the first thing on his list.

It did not take long for him to string up several fish over a roaring campfire. It was too bad he didn't have any form of spice, but he had to make do with what he had. He was stoking the fire when the sound of a cracking stick caught his ear. The sound had come from behind him. So, the looters had already decided to show up?

Surprisingly, it was a group of children carrying loaves of bread. They immediately shrunk back , eyes roaming the clearing for a way to run. There were shouts from a man behind them. "What are we going to do?" One of lamented as they crept closer to the river. It was flowing swiftly. Itachi stood up to intercept in case one of the children fell in. He didn't know if you could die again or not, but he would rather not chance it.

The man's shouts were clearly audible now. "You brats! Get back here with my food!"

"No! Unlike you, we have spiritual energy! Without it, we'll die!" Itachi watched quietly from his spot. He had plenty of fish he could give the children if he could convince them that he was not a threat.

"You four." Itachi finally spoke as the standoff between the brutish man and the children had come to its climax. "Give him back the bread."

"But we'll starve…!" The only girl in the group hugged the bread closer to her body as she protested. Itachi picked up one of the fish he had cooking over the fire and held it out to the children.

"Don't worry." Itachi turned his attention to the man. "You will leave these children alone if they give you back the bread."

"Like hell! They stole from me! They need to be punished!" The man swung downwards with the club he was carrying. The killing intent behind it was palpable. Itachi caught the wrist in a death grip before the girl could be harmed.

"Unless you want to lose your hand," There was sharp cracking noise as the bones in the man's wrist cracked, "I suggest you leave them alone."

"Hiyeeeh!" The man screamed. Itachi let go of the wrist and watched the man scramble away on his hands and knees.

"T-thank you mister!" The tiniest boy of the group shouted his gratitude and swiped a fish off of the fire. Itachi shook his head. He should have been able to scare the man away with a glance. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"I woke up in the forest." The children gasped and one of the boys almost dropped his fish.

"The forest? You're lucky you made it out alive. Shinigami go missing in there."

"Yeah." The girl said around a mouthful of fish. "The only time they come is to enter the forest. I haven't seen anybody leave yet."

"He's strong! Maybe he should become a shinigami too!" Now that was an interesting prospect. His curiosity was piqued and he wouldn't let the matter slide.

"How do you become a shinigami?" The children exchanged a glance between each other. The female, the apparent leader of the group, spoke up in their stead.

"We aren't sure. Sometimes the shinigami come for people. Usually, people travel to district one to enter the academy. You have to have spiritual energy though."

"I see." Itachi had started eating his own fish now, surprised at how hungry he had been. It was strange being dead yet still feeling hungry. There was so many things he didn't know about this world. "Which way would I head to reach the academy?"

"Well, we're in the last south district—Zaraki. If you headed north, you would be able to reach the district one in about a month of travel." Itachi nodded and the conversation went silent as everyone ate. He would have to get closer to the first district if he wanted to make any form of suitable life it seemed. He would become a shinigami and learn more about the afterlife. Perhaps, one day, he could see off his brother when his time came.

…

**A/N: Hey, I'm not dead! But, my grammar and plot devices have improved significantly (along with a case of "you may have dyslexia/dysgraphia" flung around by people I know.) So, two years ago I wrote this story with much haste. Bad idea. I rushed through the plot, created major plot holes, and by the time I realized, I had destroyed the chances of recovering it. Alongside other issues, I was forced to abandon this. Sadly, this shall be my last chapter Naruto related fic I will write although I might write a short one-shot here and there.**

**So, the rewrite I have long promised is here! I have given this story a plot and it shall now continue. I was cringing as I was editing it. **

**As for update times, I'll kill myself with the others I have running if I try to update it weekly. Perhaps monthly or bi monthly. It's not my main focus right now. If I happen to finish a chapter early, I will post it before my set deadline. **

**If you've got questions regarding this one or the old one, feel free to pm me or leave a review—whichever you prefer.**


	2. Chapter 2

2\. The Dead Never Die

"_**The truth exists in darkness. As an Uchiha…as a ninja of the hidden leaf…I told lie upon lie destroying even the past believing it would pave the way to the future. All alone…I…I walked in** **darkness."**_

…

Itachi had the misfortune of being placed in the slums of Zaraki. The lawless zone held thieves and murders in broad daylight. Without a fear of policing, this sight was a standard on any given day. It came to his attention that the children in Zaraki looked frail and starved not because of hunger, but due to lack of water. In this physics-bending phenomenon, water took the place of food and people could last a month without it, but it led to a form of starvation. It was the strangest phenomenon he had seen and resulted in what were called "Water Hoarders."

These were the richest men in the district and more often than not, hired the local yakuza to gain control of the stockpiled water in the district in less than friendly means. Itachi had stopped at a local tavern hoping to pawn a drink, earn some money, and perhaps a job no matter how nasty it would be. Information, however, was the best he could hope for in such a poor area of the Rukongai as the children had so gladly told him. To go anywhere in this town, you had to deal with black markets and gangs of the nastiest tastes.

The tavern door hinge was completely rotten and falling off the meager bearings. The tavern was filled to the brim with wandering vagabonds, thugs, and all manner of rowdy company. In the corner, a pair of drunks were duking it out. Another table held a game of classic poker. The bartender swiftly cleaned the glasses and poured out new drinks for the tavern alcoholics. Itachi eyed the tavern for a minute before taking a seat in one of the corners. The bartender shot daggers with his eyes. Obviously, he expected Itachi to actually buy a drink.

Itachi's gaze flicked over to the table of poker players. The air lingering around their presences were off-kilter and filled with an absurd amount of bloodlust. A hooded member, with wisps of maroon hair peeking out from beneath the hood, inclined his head in Itachi's direction. It was an invitation. Scooting out of his lonesome seat in the corner, Itachi navigated the thugs. A shoulder bumped into his spilling alcohol all over the offending man.

"Hey," the man slurred, "You spil' ma drink! I spen' te last o' my money on it."

"You were the one who moved suddenly. I was merely trying to navigate a crowded area."

"A smar'- aleck are ya'?" The man lurched out of his chair. Itachi calmly sidestepped, watching unpassionately as the man smashed into the floor. Hearing their comrade groaning in pain, his comrades rushed to his defense with blades drawn. With a series of kick chops to the neck, each contender was laid out on the ground, unconscious, as Itachi casually brushed the hair out of his face. Bar goers veered out of his way as he continued to the original destination—the inconspicuous table with the hooded figure.

"To think I would find another member of Akatsuki so easily…Sasori." Grey eyes roamed over the other figures seated at the table wearing the same black robes. "As well as the others." His luck didn't disappear entirely then. Akatsuki members possessed a wealth of information and influence—it was a requirement of their jobs.

"I guess you could say we're…attracted to the possibilities in Zaraki." Hazel eyes peered up from beneath the hood. Sasori threw a card onto the growing stack while Itachi took a seat. No one objected as the game started over and new cards were dealt. "There's plenty of puppets to be made from the shinigami who dare wander this far out."

Deidara nodded in agreement. "They can't beat my art, un."

"How many times do I have to tell you? Those clay sculptures of yours aren't 'art.' Art is eternal is an eternal masterpiece. Those _things_ are not."

"Art is a fleeting moment of beauty. Look what happened. You were the first to go, un."

"Both of you shut up. Hidan isn't here to disturb the peace for once."

"Idiot is probably an earthbound spirit." Deidara threw a card into the pile with a grin. He was going to win this match!

"It's more likely he turned into a hollow or was devoured by one." Itachi cut in with his own hand, dashing Deidara's hopes in a second.

"Hmph." Kakuzu said as he blocked Itachi's play. "Less nuisances for me."

Sasori played a card turning the favor back to him. "That's not what Itachi is here for though is he?"

"No, un." The table's attention turned to Itachi who had remained quiet until now.

"I want information on this world. Abilities, skills, geography, politics…anything of use."

"In case you haven't noticed," Kakazu said, "We don't give out information for free. We will need something in return either by payment or by rejoining Akatsuki. You don't have any money do you?"

"Which leaves you with only one means of payment—a service. A simple one really. We need someone on the inside of Seireitei's walls. All of us are traitors, you however…" Sasori smirked from beneath the shadows of his hood, "are perfect."

"Exactly," Kakazu continued, "We have dealings with the Uchiha clan in the higher districts, and they want information on abnormal activities within the Seireitei's walls. We need someone to keep an eye out for these things. Of course, the Uchiha clan has gotten on the bad side of the Seireitei within the last decade. We need to know when to withdraw to prevent getting caught up in the mess they will leave behind."

Itachi grimaced but, resigned to his fate, nodded in acceptance. There were far more strenuous and nasty deeds to be done if he wanted to obtain information and Akatsuki never did the job halfway. Any information they held would be the best to offer in all of Rukongai or the Seireitei. "The terms are acceptable."

"Great. Let's get started with the basics then. You should get used to Rukongai before attempting the test for shinigami. The next test won't be for another twelve months and the fee to take the test is hefty."

"Your mind is in disarray. Sightseeing will do you good." Sasori slipped a bag of coins across the table. "Build up your money before you take the test and clear your mind."

"Now then, on to the matter at hand."

…..

Itachi was in no hurry to reach the center. Kakuzu had no reason to lie, and, admittedly, it made logical sense. Despite being dead for only a month, Itachi could sense a formidable strength around them all—one that he did not yet possess. It was a strength that could only be honed through years of harsh training. The swords strapped to their wastes confirmed his theory. All of Akatsuki were renegade shinigami.

He decided to do both a logical and illogical thing—sightseeing. Though his desire to train was strong, his lingering feelings towards Konoha and Sasuke still put his mind in disarray. A state of disarray left him unable to focus—hardly a stable state of mind to pass the exams—and left his feet to carry him where they wished. Thus, the best course of action, in Itachi's mind, was to scour the lower districts for the rare odd jobs few were willing to pay before retreating back outwards to continue his spiral path around Rukongai. It allowed him to get a good view of the land, its surrounding areas, and an overall history of the Rukongai which, by deductive reasoning, would presumably be on future tests in the academy.

Itachi trudged into the dusty district of Inuzuri, having been erratically touring all over the districts, with weary feet. Inuzuri, while not as dangerous as Zaraki, still had its fair share of emaciated children suffering from dehydration and the occasional starvation. The sun beat harshly on the shack village, waves of heat shimmering visibly on the wide dirt road, and reflecting harshly back into the faces of tired and nervous travelers. Itachi sighed as he searched for what little could be found in this town and, more specifically, a tea shop. He obstinately refused to believe there were no tea shops in the afterlife. Even if the leaves were of poor quality and wilted, he needed his tea.

There! At the end of the visible portion of the dirt road was a crooked sign with "Hanging Dog Tea Shop" written in faded letters. A lot could be said for the possibility of food borne viruses and overall cleanliness but such a thing was a luxury in the higher districts; filth had stopped being an issue within the first week of his time in Rukongai. He was starving with his rations gone but so far he had saved up enough in district 79 (the paltry salary that it was) to pay for more rations, which he would find later, and enough for his favorite tea shop past time.

An elderly woman, garbed in yellow rags of a once beautiful kimono, swept the creaking porch in front of the shop. A tired smile stretched across her face as she moved the broom back in forth rhythmically, whistling the tune to a local folktale.

"What song is that from?" The wizened woman paused in her daily chores, shocked momentarily, before returning his question with a gentle smile.

"It's an old tale from when Inuzuri used to be a nice place to live. It was thousands of years ago, but this used to be a place of pilgrimage you know." She pointed a bony finger in the direction of nearby hill. Atop it sat a temple brimming with splendor, ripe for plundering. "They call it the Temple of the Hollow. Long ago, one of the nobles built a temple to honor what he called 'the Great Spirit.'" She shrugged and set her broom aside, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist. "I wouldn't call it a 'Great Spirit' though. It was an impossibly strong hollow that devastated the upper districts many eons ago. No one goes near it now."

"The latent energy from the curse attracts hollows, correct?"

"Well, it's something like that." She eyed him nervously for a moment, shifting the serving tray she held closely to her body, before leaning down to whisper in his ear, "You wouldn't happen to be a shinigami now would you? Normal folks don't know about that kind of stuff."

Itachi gave a small, reassuring smile. "I assure you that I am not a shinigami. I merely deduced this from the talk of hollow attacks around town." Itachi glanced up at her out of the corner of his eye. He was lying; there was only one mention of a hollow attack, but the locals would not be so keen as to state knowledge of danger which might drive away what little business they had.

"Unfortunately, yes. We have the highest ratio of hollow attacks per civilian out of any other district." The woman turned, dismissing any further inquiries. "Are you going to order anything? I have work to do and I can't have any loiterers around my shop."

Her curt dismissal meant Itachi wasn't going to get anything further from her. Completely unfazed, he answered,"The cheapest tea you have is fine. And dango."

"From your questions, I assume you're new to Inuzuri," she said as she placed the steaming cup of tea beside him.

"Yes." Itachi blew on the tea. "I came from Zaraki."

"Zaraki!"

"Hn." Itachi hummed in the affirmative, used to the reaction by now. "I'm exploring rukongai right now. There are still many things I do now know."

The woman's tense figure loosened a fraction, but her eyes remained nervous and guard for any foul play. Itachi didn't take it to heart knowing that Inuzuri was only slightly less rough than Zaraki. No one wanted their chances of working their way up the district latter—which could take centuries—to be ruined by a hooligan upstart from Zaraki. Following this fact, the battle-mongers almost always brought death in their wake and left homes with little to ease the burden of living in rukongai. There were bills to be paid, water—and food on a rare occasion—to be had, and dues to the local gangs. It was a rough way to live out one's life—or afterlife depending on how you viewed it.

"Then let me give you some advice: don't go anywhere near that temple. Bad things always happen when people do."

"You do realize by saying that you are actually goading people into entering the temple."

"What about you? Surely you aren't saying you can fight off hollows!"

Itachi just smirked.

…

**A/N: So my time has been split between studying for a placement test, studying for university in general, and writing 9-page essay (for a prof I can't stand to be in the same room with ugh). **

**Because of all this essay writing, I need a beta because last time I revised my essay it took me a week to get anywhere near her standards…. But for now, I'll just be giving shorter chapters so I don't have you guys waiting entire semesters for me to get a single chapter posted. (Plus it will be easier for me to edit and keep up with school. At least I hope it will be.) The writing is up to where I would hope it to be, but I made you guys wait long enough for me to destroy and rewrite this chapter over and over.**

**As for the title, this alludes to the fact that the dead _do not_ stay dead when they go to the after life. Troublemaker wills still wreak havoc and those who are destined for greatness will still rise to the occasion. In this case, the Akatsuki chose to be the troublemakers of Rukongai.**


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